Woodland Shadows
by BlesstheMoon
Summary: Final chapter uploaded! Read and Review!
1. Woodland Shadows

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot, Brela, Colleen, Jiphon, Rana and Loma.

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Woodland Shadows

Colleen was in a weird mood. She wanted to do something big and meaningful, but at the same time she didn't want to do anything. She decided to take a walk, so leaving a note for her parents she went out the front door and locked it behind her. She walked to the park down her block and began to run across the lawn, getting rid of her tension with exercise, not paying particular attention to where she was going. Suddenly without warning she came to the edge of a small cliff._ '_A cliff in the park?' just had time to flash through her mind before she went over it with a small scream and lay on the ground, dazed.

When she sat up and looked around she realized that she was lost. There was no sign of the basketball courts on the other side of the park, or the chain link fence surrounding them. She lay near a large beech tree at the edge of a shadowy forest. 'There are no forests in my neighborhood! I live in the suburbs!' As she looked around, wondering where she was and how on Earth she had gotten there, she heard the sound of hooves. A tall, fair man with black hair appeared along the path running out the forest, riding a brown horse. Seeing her, he pulled up, startled, and alighted from his horse. "Might I be of service, my lady?" he asked with a bow. His voice was deep and resonating. 

Colleen got up. "Um...yes...could you tell me where I am please?" The man looked puzzled. "You stand at the northern eaves of Mirkwood, near Ered Mithrin." Colleen was sure she hadn't heard right. There was no such place as Mirkwood; that only existed in a book... "Excuse me, did you say Mirkwood?" she asked shakily. "Yes, my lady," he replied.

Colleen thought fast. The man could probably overpower her, and she didn't like the look of the quiver of wicked-looking arrows slung over his shoulder or the long bow in his hand. He probably knew how to use them. He was obviously crazy, but it would be safer to play along, at least for now. Besides, if by some wild impossible chance she _was_ in Mirkwood, she would need to be more courteous. "And whom do I have the honour of addressing?" she asked, in her best Lord-of-the-Rings manner. "Legolas son of Thranduil, of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood at your service," he replied, bowing again. Suppressing a gasp of surprise, Colleen returned the bow and replied "Colleen O'Shea at yours."

"Are you all right?" Legolas asked solicitously, looking at the bump on her forehead. "You are injured." He pointed to her head. Colleen reached up and winced slightly at the pain. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought," she muttered. "I beg your pardon?" "Oh nothing, nothing. It's just...I seem to be...lost." Boy, was that the understatement of the century! Legolas looked at her carefully. "Yes, you do not seem to be from this region. Your clothing is unfamiliar." He swept the most discreet of glances over her dark purple T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. 

For the first time Colleen noticed that the elf was wearing a leather jerkin, white tunic, and breeches, with moccasins on his feet. "I will take you to our halls, to meet my father. Can you ride?" "No," said Colleen, looking nervously at the horse. The few times she had tried to ride, she had frozen up at the mass and height of the animal under her. Legolas looked vaguely surprised, but said simply, "I will have to teach you, then." He mounted his horse, and rode him over to a stump. "Step up here." Colleen did so, and with Legolas giving her a hand up, she managed to clumsily swing herself into the saddle behind him.

"I'm going to fall!" she cried, clutching at Legolas. "You will not fall," he said. But Colleen was panicking. The horse must be five feet high, and she had nothing to hold on to. "Colleen!" said Legolas sharply; "You will not fall! Put your hands around my waist and grip the horse's sides with your knees." Colleen did so, slowly relaxing. "He's so high," she whispered. Legolas only said "I will start him out with a walk." He chirruped to the horse. "Hyah, Brela!" he said, and the horse started off slowly. Colleen gripped the horse's barrel more tightly but said nothing. Gradually Legolas urged the horse to a trot, and then to a canter.

As they rode through the woods, Colleen relaxed. She had always loved forests, and to be in Middle-Earth was the fulfillment of one of her secret wishes. The sunlight slanted through the leaves, dappling everything with green-gold light and shadows. The trees were mostly gnarled oaks and cedars, but here and there Colleen caught the silvery glow of a birch in the distance. Then suddenly a horrible thought struck her and she gasped. Reining in his horse, Legolas asked "Is something wrong?" Colleen didn't answer right away. She was too busy thinking of the possibility that she had been plunged into the midst of the great War of the Ring, of which she had read. "Legolas," she said finally, "I know this is going to sound really strange, but what year is it?" Legolas turned and looked at her sharply. "As Men reckon it, it is July tenth of the year 3020." he said. Colleen racked her brain, trying to remember the chronology of the Lord of the Rings. She thought she remembered that Sauron had fallen in March of 3019, but she couldn't be sure.

"So...so the Dark Lord has been cast out?" "Yes, he was defeated some time ago." Legolas replied, then murmured, as if to himself "Where could you be from that you did not know that?" There was an awkward silence, but then Legolas pointed ahead of them "Look!" he cried. Colleen peered over his shoulder and saw a high stone wall. "There are our halls." Legolas said, and urged Brela to a gallop, pulling him up short at the great stone doors.

After his horse was led to a large thatched stable by an elf in green and brown, Legolas led Colleen through vaulted passages supported by pillars carved into the likenesses of ivy-wreathed trees. He stopped in front of two silver doors, which were guarded by an elf in bright armour with a pike in his hand standing on either side. "Hail, Prince of Mirkwood!" these thundered in unison as they approached, banging their pikes on the floor. Legolas bowed low to each of them in turn, then, noticing they were both peering curiously at Colleen he said, "This is Colleen O'Shea. I found her near the Northern boundary of the forest." Colleen made a clumsy bow. "Colleen, these are Jiphon and Loma, two of my father's ceremonial guards." The elves nodded at her as they were named. Jiphon had wavy light-brown hair and hazel eyes, and Loma had blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I will explain things to my father. Wait here until I call you." Legolas disappeared into the throne room and Colleen stood looking nervously around until the door opened again and Legolas beckoned her to enter. She walked slowly down the middle of the throne room, which was lit by the multicoloured light of stained-glass windows. As she approached the throne, she bowed low.

"Welcome to my halls, Colleen of Shea" said Thranduil. He was tall, lordly and fair, with a necklace of white gems, and a sword in a jeweled scabbard. "Thank you, Your Majesty." "My son has told me how he found you at the Northern boundary of our realm. How came you here?"

This was a tricky question. Aside from the fact that Colleen had no idea how she had ended up in Middle-Earth, she was sure King Thranduil would not understand if she said she was from Arizona, but she didn't want to lie to him either. "I come from land far from here, Your Highness" she replied finally. "You are from over the Misty Mountains- from Eriador?" he asked. "No, Your Majesty." "From the South, the Bay of Belfalas, or from Dale in the East?" Colleen shook her head. "I come from a land beyond Middle-Earth, where it is only a story." Thranduil looked puzzled. "You come from over the Sea?" "Oh, goodness, no! My country has no connexion with Middle-Earth and Mirkwood is the last place I expected to end up! I was walking near my house and suddenly I fell over a cliff and was here."

Thranduil nodded, although he did not look entirely satisfied. "Very well. You shall be our guest until we find out more of this matter. Rana will show you to your chamber." A young elf girl stepped forward and led Colleen from the hall.

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A/N: I will try to get the next chapter of this fic up soon, as well as sequels to my two others and a third fic I'm working on. Thank you to all reviewers, even those who were critical. I don't mind criticism as long as it's constructive and polite. I gave warning to people who read my NC-17 fic that it was lemon and slash, there was no justification for flames and I ignored all I received.


	2. A Discovery

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Woodland Shadows Part Two

Disclaimer- If you recognize it, that's probably because it's in the books, and since I didn't write them, it's not mine.

A/N: Thank you for all my wonderful reviewers. Anyway, now that you've all thoroughly lost interest- Chapter Two! 

Colleen followed the light-footed Elf along a passageway, turning left and right without realizing where she was going. It was obvious to her now that she was indeed in Mirkwood- but how on Earth- or any other planet for that matter- had she gotten there? And how did it exist anyway? Tolkien had made up Middle-Earth- or had he? Maybe he had created it somehow, when he had written about it? Or maybe he had written the history of a real country, under the guise of a fantasy epic? But that was absurd. Still, here she was, and she had absolutely no idea how she was to get home.

At that moment Rana stopped in front of an oak door. "Here is your bedchamber," she said quietly. "You may refresh yourself within." She led Colleen into a paneled room with a great four-poster bed in one corner. She went into a small alcove, and Colleen followed. Here she found a large bathtub and a great basin full of steaming-hot water. Rana transferred this into the tub, then left. 

Colleen gratefully cast her clothes on the bed, and stepped into the tub. She washed off the grime of her journey with a cake of odd-smelling soap nearby, then lay soaking in the tub for a long while, thinking. She supposed she would just have to stay in Middle-Earth until whatever had brought her here decided to take her back. She felt lonely, and afraid, for however courteous the Elves were to her, and however well they treated her, she was an outcast here, a curiosity… "Oh, well," she thought resignedly "After all, how many people have a chance to travel to Middle-Earth? I might as well enjoy it while I'm here."

She got out of the tub, wasn't sure what to do with the water, so she left it there. She dried herself with a large towel, and went back to the main chamber. Once there, she found clothes in her size neatly folded on the bed. Her underclothes were still there, but her T-shirt, sneakers and jeans had vanished. In their place was a light-blue tunic, white leggings and moccasins, such as the Elves wore. After a bit of trouble she put them on, and found at the bottom of the pile a small silver horn, and a leather pouch with the few things that had been in her pockets. She checked through these hastily- yes it was all there, her house key, identification, watch, and what little money she had brought with her. Although she could use none of it here, she slung it on her belt, along with the horn- it reminded her of home.

Suddenly there was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said, and was surprised and pleased to see Legolas walk in. "Colleen, my father has given you freedom to come and go as you will, but he bids you not to stray far from our Halls- there are evil things in Mirkwood." She shuddered. "You don't need to tell me- giant spiders, and black squirrels- ugh." "That is what the horn is for," he continued "If you are lost, or in need of aid, wind it and help will come." "Thank you," she said. "But doesn't the Prince of Mirkwood have more important things to do than chat with strangers?" He seemed surprised. "You are our guest," he replied simply, as if that explained everything. And perhaps it did. From what she had read of Elves they were a kindly folk, though as a rule not too trusting of strangers.

Legolas bid her farewell, and left. She stepped outside her chamber, and with some difficulty, asking directions of passing Elves, she found her way back to the throne room. From there she easily found her way outside the Hall, and looked about.

She heard the sound of running water, and followed it, until she came upon a small bubbling stream. She followed it for a while, as it wound through the forest, occasionally chattering over rocky sections. When she tired, she sat on a mossy bank and sat listening to the water. A beam of sunlight slanted through the trees and glinted on something in the mud. She picked it up, and found it was a smooth oval stone. She looked at it more closely, trying to discern what colour it was, but it seemed to be constantly changing. One moment it was the yellow-green of new leaves, then the cloudy grey of a stormy sky, then the cool blue of a lake, or the dim purple of twilight under the trees. She put it in the pouch at her side. She would ask Legolas about it later. 

It was growing dark. Colleen got up, and quickly followed the course of the stream back. She didn't want to be caught in Mirkwood at night! When she reached the stone wall, an Elf ran up. It was Jiphon, whom she had met earlier. "Colleen," he said, "I have been looking for you. There is a feast about to begin in the Great Hall." Suddenly realizing how hungry she was, she eagerly followed him.

A/N 2: Ooh. A mystery! What is the stone that Colleen found? What does it do? Is it magical? (Well, DUH, it's magical but what is it? You'll just have to wait and see!)


	3. An Odd Occurence

**A/n: Hi, another update from me, as quickly as possible, since you all asked so nicely J . Thanks to all my reviewers, you really made me happy. **

Colleen followed Jiphon into the dining hall; an immense pillared room lit by dozens of lamps swinging from the rafters. She saw that these each had many candles in them and wondered briefly how they were lit and blown out each day, then Jiphon had shown her to her seat and she forgot about the lamps in gazing at the food.

There were things she recognized of course- dark bread, and fruit, although she was not certain of what kind. Then there were meats- some sort of fowl- maybe grouse or pheasant? And "What's that?" she whispered to Legolas, who was sitting on her left. He looked where she indicated. "Venison." "Oh, I've never had that before." He nodded. "My people often eat it." She also had a cup, which was empty. "What do you drink?" "Customarily, we drink mead," Legolas replied. Colleen knew that mead was alcoholic of course- made with honey. She had never drunk much alcohol before, aside from polite sips of wine at fancy dinners- and even then she hadn't liked it. She didn't much fancy the idea of getting drunk or throwing up in front of the Elves. "Would your father be offended if I only drank water?" she whispered, glancing up to the head of the table where the Lord of the Elves sat. "No," he answered. "He understands that you are not accustomed to our fare."

Feeling much relieved, Colleen glanced around. Aside from Legolas and Thranduil, she didn't recognize any of the Elves. She spotted Jiphon and Loma sitting at a table nearby, but her table seemed to be reserved for the nobility. 'I shouldn't be sitting here!' she thought, panicked. 'I'm nobody important!' She glanced at the Elf on her right. "What's your name?" she asked timidly. He looked at her gravely. "I am called Imfariel." "Imfariel," she repeated carefully. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Colleen." She held out her hand. The Elf merely looked at it, puzzled. Then she remembered that the Elves probably didn't shake hands. "It's a custom of greeting where I come from," she explained. "We hold out our hands in token of peace, and then clasp them." He did so, looking at her as if for assurance that he was doing it correctly. She smiled at him. 

Then Thranduil cleared his throat. The hall was instantly silent. He stood up. "I have something that I must say to you all," he announced. "Today we are honoured to have a guest from a far land, Colleen O'Shea. She will be staying with us for an unknown period of time. She is not familiar with our customs, and therefore I ask you to answer any questions she may have." Then, to Colleen's absolute horror, he motioned for her to stand up. She did so, face flaming, as all the Elves turned to her. After a moment she sat down again, and the meal began. 

Colleen ate mostly bread and fruit, but she did try the venison, and liked it. The Elves talked merrily as they ate, mostly about things she didn't understand. She did catch that they had recently slain a small band of Orcs on the edge of their realm. 'Small need to do that,' she thought to herself. 'If they came this far in, they were probably lost, and would've starved soon anyway.' But then, she supposed, Orcs were Orcs, no matter what.

After the meal the dishes were cleared away, and the Elves leaned back in their seats. Colleen thought she knew what was coming, and she was right. The Elves began to sing, sometimes in Quenya, which she didn't understand, but was beautiful nonetheless, sometimes in English. She heard some songs she recognized: parts of the lay of Beren and Lúthien, and the song of Nimrodel. But the songs were more than she ever could have imagined from reading the books. 

Then they took out harps and flutes and began to play. Colleen closed her eyes and listened, transported to distant lands by the music. After a while she heard murmuring, and felt someone tap her on the shoulder. It was Legolas and his face was pale. She looked around. The Elven minstrels' hands were quiet upon the harpstrings- yet the music played on, quietly and more beautiful even than before. The Elves were again all looking at her and whispering to one another. She felt terribly awkward, worse than the first time she went on stage for a school play. Then the music stopped, and Legolas beckoned to her. "We must speak with my father," he said, and got up from the table. Colleen rose, and followed him to where Thranduil sat, feeling as though she had just been sent to the principal's office. 


	4. An Explanation and a Farewell

A/N: Well, here it is, the fourth chapter of _Woodland Shadows_. I was hoping to get more reviews on Chapter 3, but oh well. If you like this story, please read and review my other stories. Thank you. 

Disclaimer: Anything from the book isn't mine, and I wouldn't want it to be...well except maybe Legolas. ;)

Colleen followed Legolas to where his father was sitting, uncomfortably aware of how the Elves were staring at her. When they reached him, Thranduil said gravely "You did not inform me that you could do magic."

"B-but I can't!" she stammered. "Nothing like this has ever happened to me before!" "The music we heard was quite definitely magical in origin," said Thranduil. "And the evidence indicates that it came from you." 

Colleen was thoroughly bewildered. Magic? Her? Impossible! "Perhaps your coming to Middle-Earth let you manifest powers that you do not have in your own world," suggested Legolas. "No! I'm positive I'm not magical!" 

"Then perhaps one of the artifacts you carry acts as a talisman," offered Thranduil. "It cannot be your clothes, for we supplied them, and they have no special virtue, save especial warmth at need. Therefore it must be something you brought from your own world."

Colleen highly doubted this, however at his prompting, she took out the leather pouch, and gave each of its contents to the Elven-King. He looked at them solemnly. After examining her watch, key, I.D., and money carefully, he said "I see no magic in these things. It must be you yourself."

Colleen felt around the pouch desperately. She just couldn't be magic! Her hand landed on something smooth, and she remembered the mysterious colour-changing stone. "Wait! What about this?" she asked, drawing it out. 

Colleen didn't know what type of a reaction she had expected, but it certainly wasn't the one she got. Legolas' eyes bugged out and his mouth fell open. She stared at him, caught between confusion and amusement. She had never seen him look so undignified! Thranduil himself looked hardly less astonished. "Let me see that, please!" he said sharply, and took it from her almost reverently. He turned it over and over in his hands, studying it closely. 

Legolas had recovered himself somewhat. "Is- is that what I think it is?" he asked his father. Thranduil nodded slowly. Legolas gasped and turned to Colleen. "Where did you get that?" he asked her.

Colleen was completely confused at this point. "What? It's just a weird stone that I found by a stream." She hesitated. "Isn't it?"

Legolas murmured something that sounded like "_utúvie Fëamir_." 

"What?" 

"You have found the Soul-Stone," he breathed. 

"What's that?"

Thranduil sighed. "Since you do not know our history this will take some explaining." Colleen bristled. "I know your history!" She paused. "Well, some of it. I just never heard of any Soul-Stone."

"Follow me." Colleen and Legolas followed the Elf-Lord to a small paneled chamber. Thranduil beckoned them to sit, and then began his tale.

"Long ago," he said in a soft, respectful tone, "At the request of Ilúvatar, the Great Smith, Aulë forged a mighty Stone." At the mention of Ilúvatar Colleen gasped, but Legolas shushed her. "Each of the Valar put some of their power into the Stone." Thranduil continued, ignoring the interruption. "Manwë gave it power over the Air, Ulmo power over the Water, and so forth. This Stone was given to the Elves, and it was their fairest treasure, for it had great powers of healing. They brought it with them into Middle-Earth," he paused for a moment. "But it was lost, many ages ago, ere Men came to dwell here. Now," he paused again. "Now it has been found again." 

"By me," Colleen gasped. "But why me? I'm no one special! And why did it make that music earlier?"

Legolas explained. "If the Stone is taken by one who does not know what he holds, it cannot be used to heal, as was its purpose. Instead it reflects the bearer's soul." He paused a moment and smiled. "You have a lovely soul." Colleen felt herself blushing.

Thranduil asked, "Where exactly did you find the Stone?" 

"Oh, I followed a stream away from your Halls and I saw it sparkling on the ground. Here, I'll show you." She led the two Elves out into the night, and searched for the little brook where she had found the Stone. But she couldn't find it.

"I don't understand. I know it was around here somewhere!" she said. Thranduil put a hand on her shoulder. "I do not think you will find it again." 

"What?"

"This is the West side of our Halls. The River flows North of them."

"Are you saying that there wasn't any stream?"

"I don't doubt that there was a stream," said Legolas. "But it is no longer here."

"Huh?" She couldn't think oh anything more intelligent to say.

"When my son brought you to me, I did not doubt that you had been called here for a Purpose," said Thranduil. "And so you were. You were called here to find the Stone for us. For reasons I do not entirely understand, only you could find the stream by which the Stone lay."

"Called here?" Colleen asked. "Well. maybe. I do remember feeling weird, so I went for a run, and ended up here. But," she paused as a thought struck her. "But if I've done what I came to do, that means my time here is almost over!" "Thranduil nodded.

Colleen started to cry. "But I don't want to leave!" Legolas hugged her. "You have to leave," he said gently. "You don't belong here." 

He led her back to her room. "I think you have at least tonight to stay," he said. "Goodnight." Colleen lay staring at the ceiling for a long time, but finally fell asleep.

The next morning she stood with Legolas and Thranduil outside the Halls of the Elves. "I have made something for you," said Legolas. "As a farewell gift." He handed her a necklace. "It is only a token, for you gave us back the Soul-Stone, but it is something by which you can remember us."

"I don't think I can ever forget you," she said. She looked at the necklace. It was a plain silver chain on which hung a silver leaf. On the leaf, an inscription was engraved:

colleen o taur-bu-fuin

"What does it say?" she asked Legolas. "Colleen of Mirkwood," he replied.

"Oh, thank you!" she cried, hugging him. He put it around her neck. Then there was a flash of light, which obscured the Elves, the forest, and everything else.

The light subsided a little, but it remained bright. She opened her eyes- when had she closed them? -to find herself lying on the grass in the park with the sun shining on her face.

She looked at herself. She was wearing her jeans and T-shirt. "Why, you silly thing!" she chided herself. "You fell asleep!" She paused. Of course she fell asleep! She fell asleep for a few hours because she had tired herself out by running around, and it was the same day she had gone to the park in the first place. "It was all just a stupid dream!" she said bitterly, getting up. As she shifted her weight she felt something bump against her chest. Surprised, she reached under her shirt and drew out a necklace. On it were what she recognized as Elvish characters. She stared at it for a moment in shock, then smiled, tucked it inside her shirt, and headed for home.

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Ende


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